Chapter 2
Two
“ I t’s my turn,” I murmured low, nudging Rath with a mock scowl.
His smug smirk was irritating, but being my best friend and the best hunter in the entire clan, he’d technically earned it. I’d lost track of the number of times I’d missed a shot and he’d taken down the beast I’d been aiming for. Not this time, though. I was going to get the biggest kill, and he would finally acknowledge my prowess. Or at least stop teasing me so often.
Drawing back the string of my bow, I aimed for the sorvik that stood grazing a short distance away. I had the shot lined up perfectly, and excitement filled my gut at the possibility of taking it down. But when I released my arrow, the beast chose that exact moment to move to another patch of grass. Causing me to miss entirely.
The animal startled and took off, and I wasn’t fast enough to pull out another arrow before a much larger one shot through the trees and hit the sorvik dead on. I dropped my head forward in defeat. Of course, Rath took it down so effortlessly. Everything was easy for him.
He patted my shoulder affectionately. “Be at ease, Verus. Your luck will improve.”
I made a face, pushing to my feet so I could follow him toward where the animal had fallen. He was such a noble opponent. It made it hard to be cross with him.
“I think I dislike you a little more each day. It was my kill.”
He grunted, picking up the animal and tossing it over my shoulder. “Then you can take it back to the village. I will find another before returning.”
I shook my head, offering it back to him. “No. You have a bondmate waiting for you. You got your kill. Go back to him and let me hunt more. I’ll at least find some zorvash before I head back.”
He nodded, taking any excuse he could to get back to his bondmate. They had their bonding ceremony several months ago, just before the first snows fell, but they were still smitten and wrapped around each other at every free moment. It made me smile to see it, knowing how lonely Rath had been before he met Finn. They belonged together, and I was happy for my brother for finding his bondmate. Their love made me consider looking for a bondmate myself soon. Maybe the next batch of tributes would bring another male.
After sending Rath off with his prize, I headed deeper into the forest. It was vast, and someone could easily get lost inside it if they weren’t careful, but I knew it like the back of my hand. Every winter, our clan settled against the forest for better hunting during the colder months. We would be moving on soon enough, now that spring was finally upon us, and I loved our way of life on the move, but I would miss the forest until we returned. It was always so calm inside.
As if to prove the notion false, I heard a terrified scream ring through the air. My instincts had my feet moving before I even made the full decision to do so. I raced toward the sound, leaping over fallen trees and roots. I quickly saw what had made such a horrific noise. Someone was running through the trees. Not a clan brother, nor anyone I recognized, but I couldn’t get a decent look at them before they tripped over something and fell down a small ditch, their body disappearing behind a bush. I hurried forward, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw what they were running from.
Shadowstalker.
They didn’t come near our hunting grounds often, but they were tenacious. It was what made them dangerous. They were not the largest, nor the most threatening, with only small claws and larger teeth to assist them in a hunt. It was their refusal to give up that gave them their name. Once they decided to hunt something, they would not stop until death; theirs or their prey’s. Brothers had been dragged off in their sleep because of these creatures. And there was only one way to deal with them.
Unsheathing my sword, I pushed my muscles harder to reach the shadowstalker in time. They were fast, but not impossible to catch. It leapt into the air, and the person it was stalking screamed again, but I caught it in time, tackling the animal to the ground with a shout.
Being so much smaller than me, the creature managed to wriggle free, putting more space between us. Its gaze flicked constantly over my shoulder to its prey, splitting its focus. I bared my teeth at it, keeping my stance low. It would not be deterred so easily, but it was more cautious now, knowing I stood between it and its next meal.
It hissed at me in warning, posturing to get me to back down. So I hissed back. It seemed to anger the creature, and it lunged at me. I did the same, blocking its claws with my arm as I sliced through its middle. I would need a visit to the healers for that, but it was worth the injury when the animal shuddered out its last breath and went limp.
When I was sure it wasn’t faking to get me to lower my guard, I pushed to my feet again. It wasn’t a sorvik, but shadowstalker meat was hearty in a stew. It would feed some of my clan at the very least.
A whimper drew my attention over my shoulder. I turned just in time to watch the unfamiliar man’s eyes roll back in his head as he collapsed.
“Kaiza,” I cursed low, rushing to his side. I checked for any signs the shadowstalker had already got to him, but all his injuries were meager in comparison to the creature’s normal attacks. Small cuts, as though he’d rolled through a thorn bush or two, some bruising, and a tear in his trousers along the knee, likely due to his recent fall. His clothes were soiled and, from his unkempt appearance, I guessed he’d been out here a few days at least. Alone? Why? He was not a hunter. He was not dressed for the weather that still dipped at night. He had no weapons on him. From the looks of him, I didn’t think he was prepared for entering the forest at all. Underneath the dirt and mud, the clothing he wore looked fancy, like what they wore in the nearby towns.
I reached out to brush a lock of his hair away from his face, flinching when I felt how cold his skin was. I had a great many questions, but he needed care first. Besides, if he truly was from a nearby town, he would not speak our tongue. I would need someone to translate for me.
Carefully, so as not to disturb any unseen injuries, I lifted him into my arms. He was not a slight man, more curvy and thick. Not heavy, not for me anyway, but not as thin as Finn. The meat on him was probably the reason he lasted so long out here alone. He didn’t stir, and his head lolled when I stood, but I could feel his shallow breath upon my skin. He was alright for the time being.
With him in my arms, it was a pain to also grab the shadowstalker, but I refused to leave the kill behind. Unlike the man, who was larger but light enough in my arms, the shadowstalker was small and dense, and my forearm burned, carrying it by the scruff one handed. I was grateful when we reached the gathering tree where my stallion waited.
“Dhellgas, my dear friend. We have another passenger this day. We need to make haste to return to the clan.”
The stallion bobbed his head like he understood me. Godr, the horsemaster of our clan, believed they did. As he was my best friend’s brother, I listened to his counsel and always treated Dhellgas as though he understood me. He was sometimes feisty and petulant if I didn’t often bring him farther into the forest to join the hunt, but he was a good stallion and an excellent listener when I was drunk and needed someone to complain to.
Unlike townsfolk, who used leather seats on their animals, we rode without. It was why we brought our kills to the gathering tree, as it was close enough to the village that we didn’t need to worry about hurting our stallions with the extra weight. I had to set down the man while I draped the shadowstalker on Dhellgas’s back, ignoring the flick of his tail to show his annoyance. Shadowstalkers were heavy.
“I will tell Godr to give you an extra treat for carrying us. Be at ease, my brother.”
This settled him, and he stood patiently while I gathered the man up again and jumped onto his back. Once the male was safely tucked against me, I patted Dhellgas’s hide to urge him forward.
“Make haste. He needs a healer.”
As we rode, I looked down at the male in my arms. His skin was pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes, but if you looked past that, he was a sweet-looking man. He had hair the color of the setting sun and spots on his cheeks and nose. His lips were petal pink and soft looking, and his eyelashes were long, resting delicately on his rounded cheeks. My chest tightened a little, looking down at him. What were the chances that I was considering searching for a bondmate and happened to stumble upon him in the forest alone and in need of protection? It seemed almost too good to be true.